🎶 Pump it up, you’ve got to pump it up. 🎶 

Bitcoin is inching toward the big $100k, sitting pretty at $98,943. Despite alts going insane this week, it’s the life of the party in our book. 

MANTRA ($OM) is up 140% this week, riding high on the successful launch of its Layer 1, MANTRA Chain, a month ago.

Stellar ($XLM) is flexing a 109% gain as people remember that cross-border payments are still no joke.

Hedera continues to climb with a 96.69% (nice) gain, looking more and more like a B2B case study in motion powered by enterprise names like Google and Boeing.

Meanwhile, $BONK, the Solana meme coin equivalent of a college kid crashing your high-stakes poker night and cleaning house, is up 50%

Some gains don’t make sense, per usual. FTX Token ($FTT) somehow climbed 57%, proving that zombie tokens—like their bankrupt exchange parent—just won’t die. 

Dogecoin ($DOGE) lost 0.91%, and honestly, it’s almost refreshing to see it take a breather.

Even Ethereum, up 9.31% to $3,368, seems to be nodding politely despite the crypto memes calling it dead.

This week, we’re talking: 

👴 Gensler’s goodbye and how the crypto cop might be clocking out early. 

🥊 Polymarket’s Tyson TKO 

😅 Unchill times for Chillguy creator, memes meet copyright mayhem.

The House Always Wins: Polymarket's Highs, Lows & the Tyson TKO

In the wild west of Polymarket, a decentralized platform where you bet on real-world events, traders can skyrocket to fortune or plummet into financial ruin. 

Known only by the pseudonym “zxgngl,” this anonymous whale hit it big in November 2024, winning $11.4 million by betting on Trump. 

 But this isn't a tale of unbridled success. 

Flush with confidence, "zxgngl" didn’t stop there. High on their Trump windfall, they shifted focus to another headline-grabbing event: a boxing match between 58-year-old Mike Tyson and 27-year-old Jake Paul. 

Tyson, who needs no introduction, was the heavy favorite in many circles, but the odds reflected the uncertainty of his age against Paul’s youthful energy and the likelihood of the fight being rigged. 

"zxgngl" staked $3.6 million on Tyson to win, purchasing over 11 million shares in Polymarket’s Tyson victory contract at an average price of 33 cents per share. The outcome, however, was a rude awakening. Jake Paul secured a unanimous decision victory, and the entire $3.6 million bet was lost, wiping out nearly a third of their Trump winnings​​.

🎰 Why This Matters: 

Prediction markets like Polymarket attract both high-risk gamblers and data-driven enthusiasts. 

They also serve as a playground for behavioral economics lessons. 

The optimism bias—overestimating success after a winning streak—can lead to catastrophic miscalculations. 

Théo's experience underscores the perils of letting a major win cloud judgment, especially when transitioning from political predictions to the unpredictable realm of sports betting.

Polymarket isn't a fringe player anymore. 

As of November 2024, it has facilitated over $3.7 billion in bets, with the 2024 U.S. presidential election alone accounting for approximately $278 million in payouts. 

The platform hosts many markets, from "Will Trump be convicted in 2024?" to "Is Matt Gaetz becoming Attorney General?"—each attracting millions in wagers and reflecting the public's appetite for speculation.

Bottom line: The line between fortune and folly is razor-thin. 

Success in one market doesn’t guarantee it in another—especially when emotion clouds judgment. The lesson? Diversify, stay disciplined, and remember: a winning streak is no substitute for sound strategy. 

Betting big may feel like riding a wave, but as "zxgngl" learned, waves crash hard.

While the allure of high-profile markets like Trump's election or major sporting events is undeniable, data suggests that many traders end up in the red. 

To navigate Polymarket—or any investment landscape—it's crucial to shed the gambler's mindset and adopt a disciplined, probability-based approach. 

Diversify your bets, remain skeptical of media-driven narratives, and remember: a winning streak doesn't make you the house. It just means you've been lucky—so far.

Never invest (invest is used very loosely here) what you can’t afford to lose.

Gensler's Goodbye: SEC Chair Takes a Hard Left Exit  

Gary Gensler, the SEC Chair infamous for being one of crypto’s wettest blankets, will likely step down by January 20. 

Gensler’s tenure, marked by over 50 lawsuits against crypto firms like Coinbase and Binance, earned him a reputation as a crypto antagonist. Critics accused him of “regulation by enforcement,” stifling innovation without clear guidelines.

While Gensler's actions positioned him as a crypto antagonist, it's essential to consider the broader political landscape that may have influenced his approach. Under the Biden administration, there was a clear directive to tighten regulations across various sectors, including digital assets. 

Gensler, appointed by President Biden, was likely under significant pressure to align with the administration's cautious stance on cryptocurrencies, which the administration often viewed as tools for illicit activities and financial instability.

Yes, a government that printed $6 trillion dollars in two years pointing the finger at someone else for financial instability. 

Still, if (when) Gensler exits, what’s next? 

His critics and supporters alike agree: Gensler’s absence would leave a regulatory vacuum. 

It’s unlikely his departure will leave a void for long. Though Republicans might favor easing crypto rules, the SEC’s lack of a succession plan risks stalling ongoing lawsuits and delaying clarity. 

You know the drill: crypto lobbyists will likely push for more industry-friendly laws, but uncertainty could rattle markets.

Institutional players may seize the chaos as an opportunity, especially with Bitcoin ETFs gaining momentum. A softer regulatory stance could boost crypto stocks like Coinbase ($COIN), but a leadership vacuum could also scare off some bigger fish until a new policy direction emerges.

Bottom line: Gensler’s potential exit could signal a regulatory reset. If a 2016 Trump-era SEC loosens the reins, it might ignite a crypto revival—or open the floodgates to all sorts of 💩coinery. 

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🤔 What’s New at CoinCentral: Will Bitcoin Hit $250K?

IBitcoin at $250,000—a headline-grabbing prediction that seems like a moonshot to some and pure inevitability to others.

 Our latest deep dive explores what it would actually take for Bitcoin to hit this milestone, dissecting the economic, political, and institutional factors that could align to make it happen.

We talk halving (seems like so long ago, doesn’t it?), the institutional effect from BlackRock and Fidelity, Trump’s crypto-friendly presidency, and talk of the U.S. Bitcoin reserve.

It’s not all green candles and FOMO: macroeconomics remain Bitcoin’s wild card. Inflation needs to cool, interest rates must drop, and regulatory frameworks need to solidify for a $250K Bitcoin to emerge.

Is it realistic? Maybe. Is it exciting? Absolutely. 

Dive into our full article for the details, history, and scenarios that could propel Bitcoin to a quarter-million dollars.

Check it out here!

Chillguy Being Unchill: Chillguy's Crypto Clash

Memes are the internet’s raw, relatable, and endlessly remixable cultural currency. 

But when memes cross into the crypto world, the line between tribute and theft becomes blurrier than a poorly cropped GIF. 

That’s the situation facing Phillip Banks, creator of Chillguy, the cartoon avatar of maximum zen. 

Viral on TikTok and Instagram, Chillguy has now been hijacked by rogue crypto developers who’ve launched unauthorized Chillguy memecoins to cash in on its virality—without cutting the creator in on the action.

The stakes? 

Big enough to make you choke on your Monster energy drink. 

Memecoins like Brett and Pepe have hit market caps in the billions. Even if most memecoins burn out faster than a firecracker, founders and early traders can rake in massive profits during their hype cycle. 

Unlike memes, which thrive on cultural clout, crypto is literal currency. 

The Chillguy brand has become a jackpot for opportunistic developers aiming to piggyback on its soaring recognition—leaving Banks with nothing but the likes on his Instagram posts.

🥊 The Legal Showdown

Here’s where it gets juicy. 

Under U.S. copyright law, even digital memes fall under creator-protected intellectual property. 

Memes may live rent-free in our brains (and timelines), but turning one into a tradable commodity—like a memecoin—may actually be considered copyright infringement.

 If Banks sues, he’s got a strong case, but enforcing copyright against crypto devs? Good luck. 

These folks tend to be anonymous, operating from jurisdictions where serving papers is about as effective as yelling into the blockchain. Cayman Islands servers don’t respond to subpoenas.

In other words, welcome to the Internet, 

The Chillguy drama reflects a bigger collision between internet culture and crypto chaos. 

As digital art, memes, and blockchain tech continue to intertwine, courts are racing to keep up with creators being left behind. Some meme artists are locking their IP into NFTs or securing trademarks to avoid the vultures. 

Others are left playing whack-a-mole against a decentralized army of imitators.

The Takeaway:

About 30,000 new memecoins enter the world every day through pump.fun alone, so expect any moment to be tokenized and traded. 

If you’re a creator, don’t wait for crypto opportunists to knock off your work—lock it down. 

And if you’re ripping someone’s idea to ride their wave and make an obscene amount of money– maybe kick some back for the OG creator.
Who knows– we’re not Dr. Phill nor are we copyright court, but we’ll see how any of these new precedents shake up. 

🤔 Final Thoughts: On the Edge of Something Big?

Bitcoin’s flirting with $100K, altcoins are making noise, and the market feels like it’s just getting started.

Trump’s crypto play and institutional powerhouses like BlackRock are driving optimism, while Gensler’s exit hints at a regulatory shake-up.

But let’s not let the green candles fool us. The macro picture still looms large, and as always, crypto loves a plot twist.

Whether we’re entering a true bull market or a Hollywood-style fake-out, one thing’s clear: crypto’s never boring.

Buckle up, and see you next week.

AM

DISCLAIMER: This newsletter is provided for educational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. The content herein is not an investment recommendation or a solicitation to buy or sell any financial instruments or assets. Readers are advised to conduct their own research and exercise caution in making any financial decisions.